Friday, March 3, 2017

Are You Hungry For God?

“Then the disciples of John came
to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do
not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as
long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is
taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

Reflection:Do
you hunger for God when you are hungry or when you are full? Or does it even
matter? Or am I even only talking about food when it comes to real hunger?
Inside each of us there are hunger pangs when we are starving or hungry. Do you
really know what it means to have no food or barely enough food to feel full in
anyway? Our hunger for Almighty God must be like that all the time. I know what
it’s like to fast for a week on water alone, I also know what it’s like to fast
for fifteen days straight, I had to stop. Both of those experiences where by
choice; the hunger I experienced is not the hunger I am trying to explain.

The hunger we must have for God;
is like that of a child who has not eaten for days. When many of us miss a meal
or a snack at TV time, we complain and get all frustrated. How many of us have
no clue what it means to be hungry, I mean really hungry? In the past, when my wife
Chrissy was here and we had many challenging times, we faced major food issues
raising five kids. There were many a days and nights and weekends that her and
I would skip our meals so our kids could eat. Our fasting wasn’t by choice, by
rather by necessity so that we can properly take care of our children. But were
we hungry? Yes! We experienced that so many times, too many to put a number on
it, but knew our children’s health had to come first.

That hunger deep inside of us,
the growling of our insides, that is what I am talking about. We need to have
that type of hunger of our Lord every single day. We can’t let one day go by
without that deep want for Him. Jesus must be the absolute center of everything
we do, everything we think, everything we want. He alone must be the reason we
wake up each day hungry for Him. Hungry for His Word. Hungry to be in His
Presence. Hungry to receive Him as often as we possibly can.

Pondering these thoughts today: Today let us not forget those who
are hungry. Think about friends and family who are suffering. Don’t assume. Ask
them! Or if you are sure and you think they may refuse, stop by with some food.
Real hunger for food we can address with mercy and love for one another. But also,
keep in mind: Real hunger for God can also be addressed with mercy and love for
one another. Take a friend or family member to Mass or Adoration or to a Bible
Study. Think of those around you when you think of Jesus.